YOU HELPED US WITH LOCAL PERMITS, BUT IT IS TIME TO HELP WITH STATEWIDE PROTECTION OF PRISTINE STREAMS!
We have achieved a historic permit
" ZERO DISCHARGE" DISCHARGE PERMIT
Our new neighbor, Camp OTX, met us in mediation
TCEQ agreed to grant a historic Zero Discharge Discharge Permit
Camp OTX will land apply 100% of their wastewater effluent
if the land is saturated and can't accept effluent it will be stored for future use
if the storage capacity is exceeded, the wastewater will be pumped and hauled off
no discharge of wastewater in the creek is permitted.
" ZERO DISCHARGE" DISCHARGE PERMIT
Our new neighbor, Camp OTX, met us in mediation
TCEQ agreed to grant a historic Zero Discharge Discharge Permit
Camp OTX will land apply 100% of their wastewater effluent
if the land is saturated and can't accept effluent it will be stored for future use
if the storage capacity is exceeded, the wastewater will be pumped and hauled off
no discharge of wastewater in the creek is permitted.
Protect Our Future!
Protect the few remaining Pristine Streams in Texas
FRIENDS OF HONDO CANYON has joined forces with other community groups to study the bigger issue: how can we preserve the few remaining pristine streams in Texas?
We first had to define what we were defending. We adopted a narrow definition based on water quality analyses taken as part of the Texas Clean Rivers Program. Any classified stream segment with levels of naturally occuring phosphorus below 0.06 milligrams per liter in 90% of all water quality tests over the past 10 years is considered pristine. In the over 1800 classified stream segments in Texas, only 22 classified stream segments met this criteria.
THIS IS LESS THAN 1% OF THE STREAMS IN TEXAS!
FRIENDS OF HONDO CANYON and others submitted a rule change petition to TCEQ to prohibit consideration of new wastewater discharge permits in these few remaining pristine segments.
The Rule Change was heard by the Commissioners on March 30th, 2022. The Executive Director's office through Eric Lott, the director of Water at TCEQ, recommended denial not based on science, but based on our failed attempts to get the legislature to adopt legislation to protect these streams.
You know politics, and you know our barrel race analogy as we fought in the last legislative session. No more needs to be said
(and if you don't know the barrel race we fought, please email me and I will remind you...
it was ugly and the opposition was not honorable to our riders.)
We, as well as the groups joining us, asked for public comments to support a Rule Change
. And more than 1300 persons responded - with a resounding
YES THESE STREAMS DESERVE PROTECTION
At the Agenda Meeting on March 30th, The Head Commissioner – Chairman John Niermann – recommended denial of our petition because he felt that the TCEQ did not have the power to adopt ‘an oversweeping petition’ to deny wastewater discharge permits, and that TCEQ had mechanisms ‘in place’ to protect rivers. Yet, TCEQ has made two oversweeping rules to protect the Edwards Aquifer and the Highland Lakes Area.
The failure of TCEQ to deny any direct discharge permit in these pristine segments is not a viable argument
against 'mechanisms in place' to protect them.
The TCEQ is a permitting agency, and are charged with promoting development in Texas
Further, several Commissioners recognized that these pristine streams are the 'gems of Texas'.
Commissioner Niermann expressed concern over how adoption of a rule change would effect TECQ funding
as this is a year of Sunset Review, when the Commission is held accountable for what they do.
So who indeed, decides if TCEQ is accountable -- us as taxpayers who fund TCEQ - or developers who pay lobbyists to rig the vote but do not pay taxes?
We, the taxpayers, need to weigh in, and that is the purpose of the Sunset Review.
, Commissioner Niermann wavered based on the facts we presented. These pristine streams simply cannot tolerate wastewater discharge – discharge will destroy the clarity of these streams. And the TCEQ mechanisms in place are not adequate to protect these pristine streams. We know this first-hand. There was no support in the Executive Director's Response to Comments when we protested the wastewater discharge permit in Commissioner's Creek.
Commissioner Emily Lindley agreed with Chairman Niermann, but pointed out that NO ONE spoke in opposition during this Agenda meeting, so the failure of opposition to our proposed rule change gives NO support for the Commisssioner vote.
Only hidden politics explains their vote. And we cannot and will not accept that.
Commissioner Bobby Janecka was encouraged by Commissioner Niermann to "'vote his conscious" and Commissioner Janecka voted to not deny our petition – resulting in a 2 to 1 vote.
Commissioner Niermann then proposed that a ‘workshop’ be convened BEFORE THE END OF APRIL to address the problem.
AND HERE IS WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
our petition did not ‘win’ but our voices have been heard.
and we now understand what we are facing.
Opposition to protecting the less than 1% remaining pristine streams in Texas is powerful - so powerful that the few persons/companies/political forces either felt their power did not require attending and commenting during a public TCEQ Agenda Meeting, or these forces were so afraid to oppose the overwhelming public support in protection of the only 1% of pristine streams remaining that they decided to stay silent Why should the Texas Builders Association be upset when 99% of the streams in Texas are not protected by this rule change? Do they really want 100%?
More than 1300 public comments are on record opposing our rule change.
. Our cause was heard. Change is painful, but Friends of Hondo Canyon as Petitioners need to recognize that the TCEQ ‘gets’ the issue of protecting pristine streams – they just don’t know how to manage our issue.
And here is where I need your financial support. we need a:
WIN-WIN FOR WATER
Please donate to our cause!
The Battle to Keep Pristine Streams Clean
this is a picture of where we started: Commissioner's Creek which flows into the Hondo River. |
Here are the streams we are asking to be protected.
Alternative Options are Readily AvailiableAlternatives exist! A Zero Discharge Permit would allow the disposal of treated waste water by irrigation, instead of discharge to a stream. Other camps and cities such as the City of Leaky utilize land application/irrigation for disposal of treated wastewater. The City of Blanco recognizes how their own city's discharge caused the algae blooms in the Blanco River, and they support a ban of wastewater discharge into these few remaining pristine streams. These alternatives require planning, but in the end they are no more costly than fighting neighbors who oppose a direct discharge permit; a beneficial reuse/land application permit allows native soil to cleanse treated wastewater prior to its entry into groundwater and stream beds.
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The only way we can fight this is to join together. Our pristine creeks are worth the fight."
- Margo Denke, Founder of Friends of Hondo Canyon
We Need Your Help
There are a few things you can do to help us fight this battle.
1. Join us. Join FRIENDS OF Hondo Canyon. We need your financial support to successfully navigate this next legal step in the TCEQ protest process.
dues are $10/year. All donations above this amount go towards our cause. You can donate on line (Fundly charges 12% fee for this), donate by check (no fee charged by bank). We are a 501(c)3 organization and I will send you a tax receipt. Mail checks to:
Margo Denke Griffin
Secretary Treasurer
Friends of Hondo Canyon
11035 FM 470
Tarpley, TX 78883
1. Join us. Join FRIENDS OF Hondo Canyon. We need your financial support to successfully navigate this next legal step in the TCEQ protest process.
dues are $10/year. All donations above this amount go towards our cause. You can donate on line (Fundly charges 12% fee for this), donate by check (no fee charged by bank). We are a 501(c)3 organization and I will send you a tax receipt. Mail checks to:
Margo Denke Griffin
Secretary Treasurer
Friends of Hondo Canyon
11035 FM 470
Tarpley, TX 78883
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